NOMINATION ENGINE

• US 20130096988A1
• Filed: 10/05/2012
• Published: 04/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Grossman, David, Oshry, Steven Bruce, Weinberger, Henry, D'Albert, Maria, Hsu, Anna
• Application Number:
  US13/646,285
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096988A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7.34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0205 Location or geographical consideration
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

A system and method for nominating candidate enterprises for inclusion in a competitive set assembled for the purpose of competitively analyzing a subject enterprise. Characteristics of the subject enterprise in which the subject enterprise is comparable to a plurality of candidate enterprises are identified. The characteristics may include location, size of the physical presence, a dollar volume of revenue, classification of the business engaged, market share, average purchase size; of the subject purchase frequency of customers; size of customer base; demographic characteristics of the customer base, location of customers, degree of customer loyalty, and share of the customer'"'"'s wallet. A list candidate enterprises is compiled based upon a predetermined degree of similarity between the subject enterprise and/or an identified competitor enterprise on the one hand, and the candidate enterprise on the other. A plurality of nominee enterprises are selected from the list of candidates to populate the competitive set.

Claims

1. A method of identifying candidate enterprises for inclusion in a competitive set assembled for the purpose of competitively analyzing a subject enterprise, the method comprising:

identifying characteristics of the subject enterprise the characteristics including one or more of a geographic location of the subject enterprise, a size of the physical presence of the subject enterprise, a dollar volume of revenue of the subject enterprise, a classification of the business engaged by the subject enterprise, firmographic attributes of the subject enterprise, market share of the subject enterprise, average purchase size by customers of the subject enterprise, purchase frequency by customers of the subject enterprise, size of customer base of the subject enterprise, commonality of the customer base, demographic characteristics of the customer base of the subject enterprise, location of customers of the subject enterprise, degree of customer loyalty to the subject, the subject enterprise'"'"'s share of the customer'"'"'s wallet, the channels of trade engaged in by the subject enterprise, and attributes pertaining to the interaction between the subject enterprise and third party suppliers, service providers or resellers;

compiling a list of candidate enterprises based upon a predetermined degree of similarity between the subject enterprise and/or the identified competitive enterprise on the one hand, and the candidate enterprise on the other, in one or more of the identified characteristics; and

selecting a first plurality of nominee enterprises to populate the competitive set from among the list of candidate enterprises for inclusion in the competitive set.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein selecting a first plurality of nominee enterprises comprises receiving a selection from an agent of the subject enterprise.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein selecting a first plurality of nominee enterprises comprises selecting all of the nominee enterprises.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined degree of similarity between the subject enterprise and the candidate enterprise in one or more of the identified characteristics is determined according to a fuzzy logic criteria based upon a second plurality of the characteristics.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein identifying characteristics of the subject enterprise comprises adopting one or more characteristics of an identified competitive entity to which the subject enterprise is deemed comparable.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising ranking the candidate list of enterprises according to a specified degree of similarity with the subject enterprise, wherein selecting a first plurality of nominee enterprises to populate the competitive set further comprises selecting plurality of nominee enterprises according to their ranking.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising validating the competitive set of nominee enterprises for compliance with predetermined validation criteria.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising iteratively modifying the population of the competitive set from among the candidate enterprises in response to the competitive set not complying with the predetermined validation criteria.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein selecting a first plurality of nominee enterprises to populate the competitive set comprises selecting a third plurality of such first pluralities of nominee enterprises;

and

validating each of the third pluralities for compliance with predetermined validation criteria.

11. The method according to claim 2, wherein a first plurality of nominee enterprises further comprises one or more of the candidate enterprises to supplement the selection received from an agent of the subject enterprise.

12. A system for nominating candidate enterprises for inclusion in a competitive set assembled for the purpose of benchmarking a subject enterprise, the system comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory storage medium having instruction which when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

receive an identification or self-identification of the subject enterprise from an agent thereof;

identify characteristics of the subject enterprise, the characteristics including one or more of a geographic location of the subject enterprise, a size of the physical presence of the subject enterprise, a dollar volume of revenue of the subject enterprise, a classification of the business engaged by the subject enterprise, firmographic attributes of the subject enterprise, market share of the subject enterprise, average purchase size by customers of the subject enterprise, purchase frequency by customers of the subject enterprise, size of customer base of the subject enterprise, commonality of the customer base, demographic characteristics of the customer base of the subject enterprise, location of customers of the subject enterprise, degree of customer loyalty to the subject, the subject enterprise'"'"'s share of the customer'"'"'s wallet, the channels of trade engaged in by the subject enterprise, and attributes pertaining to the interaction between the subject enterprise and third party suppliers, service providers or resellers;

compile a list of candidate enterprises based upon a predetermined degree of similarity between the subject enterprise and/or the identified competitive enterprise on the one hand, and the candidate enterprise on the other, in one or more of the identified characteristics; and

select a first plurality of nominee enterprises to populate the competitive set from among the list of candidate enterprises for inclusion in the competitive set.

13. A non-transitory storage medium having instructions thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

receive an identification or self-identification of the subject enterprise from an agent thereof;

identify characteristics of the subject enterprise, the characteristics including one or more of a geographic location of the subject enterprise, a size of the physical presence of the subject enterprise, a dollar volume of revenue of the subject enterprise, a classification of the business engaged by the subject enterprise, firmographic attributes of the subject enterprise, market share of the subject enterprise, average purchase size by customers of the subject enterprise, purchase frequency by customers of the subject enterprise, size of customer base of the subject enterprise, commonality of the customer base, demographic characteristics of the customer base of the subject enterprise, location of customers of the subject enterprise, degree of customer loyalty to the subject, the subject enterprise'"'"'s share of the customer'"'"'s wallet, the channels of trade engaged in by the subject enterprise, and attributes pertaining to the interaction between the subject enterprise and third party suppliers, service providers or resellers;

compile a list of candidate enterprises based upon a predetermined degree of similarity between the subject enterprise and/or the identified competitive enterprise on the one hand, and the candidate enterprise on the other, in one or more of the identified characteristics; and

select a first plurality of nominee enterprises to populate the competitive set from among the list of candidate enterprises for inclusion in the competitive set.